God Will Lift Us Up!!!

Lately I have been thinking a lot about why people go through hard things. Today I came across this Video. It showed a young woman that was going through a tough time. It shows how she has endured her struggles and trusted in her Heavenly Father. Her example to me is wonderful. Also at the end of the video Elder Robert D. Hales, who also has gone through lots of trails of his own, Bares a very strong testimony of why we go through trials. He says, "Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. Yes,weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Then, in the dawn of our increased faith and understanding, we arise and choose to wait upon the Lord, saying, Thy will be done.”


Seeing this video and hearing the testimony of Elder Hales reminds me of Doctrine and Covenants 122:7-9. This is when Joseph Smith is in Liberty Jail and he is going through a rough time. At the end of verse 7 after it lists many bad things that could happen to Joseph it says, "know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." I find that statement to be true. We go through hard things, But if we endure the trial and make it through it and turn to God, Then we are blessed. Verse 8 to me is my favorite. It reads, "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" Jesus Christ has been through everything that all of us will ever go through. Who better to turn to than Him when we need help.


I know that when we go through Trials they are for our good. Though they may be hard, If we turn to God and His Son Jesus Christ, Then They will help us through them. And when we get through them, God will bless us. I know this is True!

Wood Lathe!!

Elder Olsen and I with our Bowls!

Recently I had the opportunity to learn how to use a lathe and make a wooden bowl out of a piece of old pallet wood. As we started the project I thought it was going to be pretty simple and not take that long. We first started by taking our square piece of wood and gluing it on to a circular piece of wood so we could attach it to the lathe. We then started the lathe and turned the square piece of wood into a circular piece of wood. A process that takes some time. After we shaped the wood into a circle we then cut if off the piece of wood we glued it to and we flipped it around so that we could shape the other side. We then put it back on the lathe and at this time we started forming the bowl. At first I had no idea what I wanted my bowl to look like. I just kind of started cutting and went with the flow. Something the man who was teaching us said, "Every cut you make is perfect." As I was making my bowl I would make a few mistakes and accidentally cut in the wrong spot. However, on a lathe everything you do turns out perfect. It was amazing. After Hours on the lathe of forming my bowl and sanding I was ready to flip the bowl again and form the bottom. The Process of making a wooden bowl is pretty tough but the results are amazing.

As you can see we took pretty rough looking wood and turned
it into something beautiful!

I was thinking about this process and I related it to my mission. I feel when I came out I was an unshaped piece of wood. As I have been out here the Lord has been shaping me into someone he wants me to be. A process that will take a very long time. Sometimes we aren't sure why we are going through hard times and trials but the Lord knows everything and when we go through hard times the Lord is just giving us experience and teaching us and 'shaping' us into what he wants us to be. I am so grateful for the time I get to serve the Lord and learn so much. My life has changed so much from just the short time I have spent out here as a missionary.

Finding Happiness!!!

This topic is something that has been on my mind lately. It seems like we live in a world today where there is a lot of sadness, heartache, and disappointment. There is a great scripture in the Book of Mormon that I love. It is 2 Nephi 2:25 "Adam fell that men might be, and men are, that they might have joy." The word that stands out to me in this verse is Joy. Notice Adam fell so we could have joy, Not sadness and sorrow! So how do we do we get this Joy that this verse talks about? There is a talk I would like to quote from and it is titled "Finding Joy In Life." It was a talk given by Elder Richard G. Scott in April 1996. First off I recommend reading this full talk. It is amazing. Elder Scott always gives good talks. This is what Elder Scott says how we find joy

"Your joy in life depends upon your trust in Heavenly Father and His holy Son, your conviction that their plan of happiness truly can bring you joy. Pondering their doctrine will let you enjoy the beauties of this earth and enrich your relationships with others. It will lead you to the comforting, strengthening experiences that flow from prayer to Father in Heaven and the answers He gives in return."  

From this quote we learn that our Joy will come from putting our trust in Heavenly Father and His Son. I testify that is true. That the Gospel of Jesus Christ has brought so much joy to my life. It has made the hard times easier and it has made me truly happy. The reason I am a missionary is because I want to bring the Joy that I have felt to other people, and that Joy comes from the Gospel.

This Video is about Finding Happiness. It includes parts of a Talk from April 2009 by Elder Scott.

The Bible and The Book of Mormon!!

Many times as a missionary I have heard people say that they have the Bible and that is all they need. One time when I was teaching a lady she brought this up. I explained it like this. The Bible is like Jelly! and The Book of Mormon is like peanut butter. Jelly by its self is great. But when it's put with Peanut Butter there is nothing better. They are great together.

The Scripture in the Bible that really makes this clear is in Ezekiel 37:15-17. It says

 15The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

The Bible and Book of Mormon are one in our hands!

 16Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

 17And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

When we have the Bible and The Book of Mormon together we have the fullness of the Gospel. I am so thankful for both the Bible and The Book of Mormon in my life. I testify that they are the Word of God and we can grow closer to God by reading them and abiding by what they teach us. 

This is a Short Video of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on how the Bible and Book of Mormon go together.

 

Fast Food!!!

One of my favorite things to do is stop somewhere and get some fast food. There is nothing better than a Spicy McChicken and a McDouble with big mac sauce. I love that. However, whenever I do eat out I don't feel to good after. Eating fast food is always good and fun while you are doing it but then as soon as you're done, you wish you wouldn't have eatin it. That is just how sin is. We sin because it's fun and while we are doing it, it seems great. But then when we are done sinning we feel terrible after. Now I am not trying to convince anyone that fast food is bad. But I just wanted to tell about how sin and fast food are related. I love this picture. It says "Do you want lies with that?" A lot of times when we are sinning (eating fast food) we tell ourselves that this isn't to bad. Which is always a lie. Sinning is bad and so is Fast Food. The Moral of this story is that we shouldn't sin! 

Duck Huntin!!!

After a day of hunting

Pintail Duck

One thing I like to do when I am at home is Duck Hunt. I have had some good and some not so good memories out in the marsh. This one particular time me and 3 friends were out in an air-boat on the Great Salt Lake. We had set up hundreds of decoys and had a pretty good hunt. The hunt closed and we began to clean up the decoys, but by the time we were done picking up all the decoys it was dark. We all got into the boat and headed for the canal that takes us back to the dock. We had a very tough time finding the canal because how dark it was and we actually went the wrong way and got stuck. Me and 2 other guys jumped out of the boat and tried pushing and pulling to get unstuck while the other stayed in the boat and ran the big motor. After about an hour of pushing and pulling we were all exhausted. One of my friends suggested we say a prayer. So the 4 of us knelt down in the mud and my friend said a prayer. When he was finished, we had a sudden burst of energy. And within 5 minutes of saying that prayer we were unstuck, and we were able to find our way to the canal and make it back to the dock.  It was an amazing experience. I know that God helped us get unstuck. There was no way we could have done it by ourselves. That experience really strengthened my testimony of prayer.

Us out on the Lake!

I was able to relate this experience to our lives. Sometimes in life we get off the path and we feel helpless and stuck. And a lot of times it is really hard to get back on the path. Most the time we can't do it alone. But I know that if we pray to God that he will help us through anything.

Humility!!!

         The Christlike Attribute this week is Humility!! Humility is willingness to submit to the will of
the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. A Scripture I love about this is when Jesus is in the Garden Atoning for our sins. (Mathew 26:39) The opposite of humility is pride. To be prideful means to put greater trust in oneself than in God or in His servants. It also means to put the things of the world above the things of God. Prideful people take honor to themselves rather than giving God the glory.
        As a missionary there has been times that I have been Humbled. This is a hard job and it really requires the Lord's help. As a 20 year old man doing missionary work it is really tough. I know why the Lord calls such young men to do his work. It is because we are so inexperienced, and we have to rely on the Lord and the Holy Ghost to lead us and help us. (D&C 12:8) There have been times where I forget to recognize the Holy Ghost and I think that it was because of something I thought of or something I said to help the person out. Which yes I was the one who said it but it's not me doing the thinking there. It was the Holy Ghost giving me thoughts, and the Holy Ghost telling me what to say. I love these scriptures that talk about the Holy Ghost. (D&C 100:5-8).
         I Know that those Scriptures are true. I know that as we Humble ourselves before the Lord that he will bless us with the Spirit and with the Spirit we can do all things. I Know that this church is true and I love being a missionary. There is no better calling or job in the world than being a missionary! I will end with my favorite scripture on Humility. (D&C 112:8)

Patience!!!!

The Christlike Attribute for this week is Patience! Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated or anxious. When we are patient we are able to hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Everyday there are things that will test our patience. Some of them are traffic (especially for me), relationships, work, and pretty much all aspects of life.

A quote that I love about Patience is from President Thomas S. Monson, it says "Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature. There seems to be a unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required."

One of my favorite stories from the scriptures is found towards the end of Mosiah. It is when the people of Alma are being persecuted. We learn from Mosiah 24:15, that they submited cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. That is amazing. They were going through a very hard time, and they turned to the Lord and exercised patience.

When we are going through hard times in our life we need to be patience. Because everything will all work out. Heavenly Father knows everything and he will be able to bless us in his own time. I hope we can all have a little more Patience in our lives.

Here is a link to President Uchtdorf's Talk from the video. Continue in Patience.

Charity and Love!!!

Charity and Love is the Christlike Attribute this week.A man once asked Jesus, “Which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:36–39).  Some of my favorite scriptures on Charity are Moroni 7:44-48. I especially like verse 47, it kind of gives a definition of Charity. It says, "Charity is the pure love of Christ." So how can we gain more charity for people? Well in verse 48 it says, "pray unto the Father with all energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love."  As you follow this counsel and strive to do righteous works, your love for all people will increase, especially those among whom you labor. This was one of my favorite songs as a kid. It is "Love One Another"

 

I just want to end with saying that Charity is something we will always be working at. But I know that as we serve our brothers and sisters that we will grow to love them more. And Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself. I Bare my Testimony that the Church is True and that as we continue to look for ways to serve others that we will become more Charitable and be blessed!

Virtue!!!!

 The Christlike Attribute for this week is Virtue. What is Virtue? In the Dictionary it says that Virtue is; moral excellence; goodness; righteousness. So what does it mean to have Virtue or be Virtuous? To me I think of Virtue as having your thoughts and actions clean. There is a quote from Preach My Gospel that I like it says, "What you choose to think and do when you are alone and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue." I think that is awesome. Sometimes we think that is okay to do something when no one is around. But something that is always quoted is "God is always watching." There is something else that Preach My Gospel says, "Your mind is like a stage in a theater; in the theater of your mind, however, only one actor can be on stage at a time. If the stage is left bare, thoughts of darkness and sin often  enter the stage to tempt. But these thoughts have no power if the stage of your mind is occupied by wholesome thoughts, such as a memorized hymn or verse of scripture that you can call upon in a moment of temptation. By controlling the stage of your mind, you can successfully resist persistent urges to yield to temptation and indulge in sin." This is so true. As a missionary satan works very hard on us to have bad thoughts and not be virtuous. But I have learned that if I sing a hymn or think of a scripture that the bad thought goes away. We always need to keep our thoughts clean. The Following is a Video of a song called " Guardians of Virtue" It is a Young Woman song and the message it contains is awesome!

 

I just want to end with 2 quotes. The first is from our current Prophet, and the second one is from our last Prophet. 

"You will need [courage] to be chaste and virtuous. You live in a world where moral values have, in great measure, been tossed aside, where sin is flagrantly on display, and where temptations to stray from the strait and narrow path surround you. Many are the voices telling you that you are far too provincial or that there is something wrong with you if you still believe there is such a thing as immoral behavior.

"Isaiah declared, 'Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness' (Isaiah 5:20).

"Great courage will be required as you remain chaste and virtuous amid the accepted thinking of the times."

Thomas S. Monson, "May You Have Courage," Ensign, May 2009, 125

"Supernal blessings are promised to those who walk in virtue before the Lord and before all men.

"How wonderful are the ways of our Lord. How glorious His promises."

Gordon B. Hinckley, "A Tragic Evil among Us," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 62

I end with my testimony that I know that this Church is True. That Joseph Smith Restored Christ True Church back to the earth. I know that as we keep ourselves Virtuous that we will be blessed. And as we strive to be more Virtuous the more we will become like our Savior Jesus Christ. 

 

Faith!!!

Faith is an amazing thing. When I think of Faith my first thought takes me to Alma 32. It compares Faith to a seed. And how we need to plant our seed and nourish it and take care of it and then it can grow. Almost everything we do in life we take a step of Faith. Some people don't think they have Faith but really they do. The Definition of Faith that I like to use is found in Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith, faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." What a great Scripture. Also when I think of Faith of the Primary song called Faith. http://lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=96&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=96&searchsubseqend=ZZZ I post a link to that song if you would like to check it out.

There is a lot on Faith in the Bible Dictionary. These are just a few points that I was able to pull from that. First, Faith must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation. Second, To have Faith is to have confidence in something or someone. Third, Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith. Fourth, Faith is a principle of Action. Fifth, Where there is true faith there are miricles, visions, dreams, healings, and all other gifts of God that he gives to saints. Sixth, All true Faith must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the disired results.

I think the point that stood out to me most was the fifth one.  Where there is true faith there are miricles, visions, dreams, healings, and all other gifts of God that he gives to saints. I know that is true. A very common phrase in the church is if we had the Faith of a mustard seed, we could move a mountain. (mathew 17:20) That is amazing. If we could all have that much Faith, Imagine the things we could do. The Following picture is to show how small a mustard seed is.

Faith is something we can all have more of. Let us all try our hardest to gain the Faith of a mustard seed. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church. I know that it is The Lord's kingdom once again on earth, and that Joseph Smith is the Prophet of the Restoration. I love this Church and I love being a missionary. 

Developing Christlike Attributes

The next few weeks I want to make blog post about Developing Christlike Attributes.  The Following is some inserts from a Ensign article from October 2008 by Dieter F. Uchtdorf titled "Developing Christlike Attributes."

We recognize that we are living in a time of turmoil, disaster, and war. We and many others feel strongly the great need for a “defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” (D&C 115:6). How do we find such a place of safety? President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) taught: “Our safety lies in the virtue of our lives. Our strength lies in our righteousness.”

Recall with me how Jesus Christ instructed His Apostles, clearly and directly, at the beginning of His mortal ministry: “[Come,] follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). This was also the beginning of the ministry of the Twelve Apostles, and I suspect that they had a feeling of inadequacy. May I suggest that the Savior Himself teaches us here a lesson about core doctrine and priorities in life. Individually, we need to first “follow Him,” and as we do this, the Savior will bless us beyond our own capacity to become what He wants us to be.

To follow Christ is to become more like Him. It is to learn from His character. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike attributes into our life and character. The Savior invites us to learn His gospel by living His teachings. To follow Him is to apply correct principles and then witness for ourselves the blessings that follow. This process is very complex and very simple at the same time. Ancient and modern prophets described it with three words: “Keep the commandments”—nothing more, nothing less.

Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we move away from generalities and abstractions and begin to deal with real life. The test comes in practicing what we proclaim. The reality check comes when Christlike attributes need to become visible in our lives—as husband or wife, as father or mother, as son or daughter, in our friendships, in our employment, in our business, and in our recreation. We can recognize our growth, as can those around us, as we gradually increase our capacity to “act in all holiness before [Him]” (D&C 43:9).

The scriptures describe a number of Christlike attributes we need to develop during the course of our lives. They include knowledge and humility, charity and love, obedience and diligence, faith and hope (see D&C 4:5–6). These personal character qualities stand independent of the organizational status of our Church unit, our economic circumstances, our family situation, culture, race, or language. Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They cannot be developed without His help.

The one help we all need is given to us freely through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Having faith in Jesus Christ and in His Atonement means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. Christlike attributes come into our lives as we exercise our agency righteously. Faith in Jesus Christ leads to action. When we have faith in Christ, we trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments—even when we do not completely understand the reasons for them. In seeking to become more like the Savior, we need to reevaluate our lives regularly and rely, through the path of true repentance, upon the merits of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His Atonement.

Developing Christlike attributes can be a painful process. We need to be ready to accept direction and correction from the Lord and His servants. Through the Church’s regular worldwide conferences, for example, with their music and spoken word, we feel and receive spiritual power, direction, and blessings “from on high” (D&C 43:16). It is a time when the voice of personal inspiration and revelation will bring peace to our souls and will teach us how to become more Christlike. This voice will be as sweet as the voice of a dear friend, and it will fill our souls when our hearts are sufficiently contrite.

By becoming more like the Savior, we will grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13). We will “lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better” (D&C 25:10).

This leads me back to my aerodynamic analogy. I spoke of focusing on the basics. Christlike attributes are the basics. They are the fundamental principles that will create the wind beneath our wings. As we develop Christlike attributes in our own lives, step-by-step, they will “bear [us] up as on eagles’ wings” (D&C 124:18). Our faith in Jesus Christ will provide power and a strong forward thrust; our unwavering and active hope will provide a powerful upward lift. Both faith and hope will carry us across oceans of temptations, over mountains of afflictions, and bring us safely back to our eternal home and destination.

Developing Christlike Attributes is not easy. It is something that we will work at our whole lives. So the next few weeks I am going to cover one Christlike attribute a week so that we can become a little more like our Savior Jesus Christ. I reccomend to everyone to follow this link and read President Uctodorf's full talk. lds.org/developingchristlikeattributes Let us all strive to be more Christlike in everything we do. I know that as we all become more Christlike we will be better people and life will become better.

Jesus Visits Us In Our Afflictions!

Wow! I love this song so much. This song can teach us many lessons. But I would like to focus on how the Savior will visit us when we most need him.

Here are the lyrics to this video:

Her parents never took the young girl to church
Never spoke of His name
Never read her His word
Two non-believers walking lost in this world
Took their baby with them
What a sad little girl

Her daddy drank all day and mommy did drugs
Never wanted to play
Or give kisses and hugs
She'd watch the TV and sit there on the couch
While her mom fell asleep
And her daddy went out

And the drinking and the fighting
just got worse every night
Behind their couch she'd be hiding
Oh what a sad little life
And like it always does, the bad just got worse
With every slap and every curse
Until her daddy in a drunk rage one night
Used a gun on her mom and then took his life

And some people from the city took the girl far away
To a new mom and a new dad
kisses and hugs everyday
Her first day of Sunday school the teacher walked in
And a small little girl
Stared at a picture of Him

She said I know that man up there on that cross
I don't know His name
But I know He got off
Cause He was there in my old house
and held me close to His side
As I hid there behind our couch
The night that my parents died


The last 2 paragraphs of this song are really neat. Because I know that the Savior does visit his children when they need him. It reminds me of a scripture. It is Mosiah 24:14. The last part of this verse says "...that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." That is so true. I also think about Alma chapter 7. How is talks about Christ coming into this world to go through all of our pains and afflictions. And then in Verse 12 it says "...that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." So he goes through all of our pains, sins, temptations and all of our afflictions, so that he will know how to help us through our hard times. I bare my testimony that I know that this is true. That Jesus Christ is there for us. That he can help us through anything we are going through.

I Can Only Imagine!

       This Song is awesome. I love it so much. It makes you really think about what it will be like to meet Jesus. We need to live our lives the best we can so it will be a wonderful experience to stand before our maker. Try and think for a minute if you were able to meet Jesus right now. Would we be scared? or would we be excited. I know that if we are living right and doing what we are suppose to be doing then when we meet our maker everything will be amazing. When i hear this song i think of a scripture in Enos. This is the last verse in Enos. I love what he says. 

27And I soon go to the place of my ^arest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall ^brest. And I rejoice in the day when my ^cmortal shall put on ^dimmortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the ^emansions of my Father. Amen.

      I just want to end with my testimony. That I know that Christ lives. That he is the Son of God. I know that he wants whats best for us always. He is there for us. He knows how to help us through hard times. I look forward to the day when I stand before him and Heavenly Father. I hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

Act of Courage

This video really touched my heart. This shows the journey of the Martin and Willy handcart companies who got caught in terrible weather in Wyoming. It shows the Heroic efforts of 3 young men, who did everything they could to help these fellow saints across the Sweetwater River. I have been to this river a couple of times. And I was able to cross it. However, when I was there it was the middle of summer and it was quite warm. I couldn't imagine how hard it would have been for them to cross that. This video talks about how when the Pioneers got to this river and they had to cross, that grown men who had once been strong sat on the frozen ground and wept. I have an ancestor who was part of the Martin Handcart Company. I will share a few of his insights about his journey.

From James' journal we learn: they left Iowa City July 26. By Aug. 22 they had reached Florence, Missouri, 300 miles. On Aug. 31 they were 992 miles from SLC. They traveled as many as 23 miles a day but on Sept. 5 a violent storm limited them to six miles and some days they were snow bound, not moving a step for days. On Sept 12 they left a cripple behind.  Sept. 15, James took ill with bloody flux. Sept. 23 and 24 were particularly gruesome days for the company passed scattered blood-stained articles, parts of a human body and remains of the Babbit wagon which had been burned by the Indians.

Oct 2, sighted Chimney Rock and six days later reached Laramie, Wyoming. Oct. 14 crossed the Platte River and again on Oct. 16...flour rations reduced...James noted it was very cold ... they were immobilized 9 days because of heavy snows. Oct 29 they traveled ten miles. Nov. 1, a great deal of snow and in eight days moved only nine miles. Rations reduced again to 4 oz. of flour for adults and 2 for children. James commented, "... a pound for six of us. Through the blessings of our Father we felt as contented as when we had a pound and a half each." Sunday, Nov 9, the company traveled five miles but nearly all of those on foot were left behind. - However , James walked this distance and as a result his feet were "terribly frozen," so badly that he was handicapped for the rest of his life. He was thus forced to ride the rest of the way to Salt Lake City, and Elizabeth pulled the handcart. Rations raised. Fri., Nov. 21, the company reached the Green River. Here near tragedy struck at the Bleak family. Five year old Thomas fell into the river, and when they recovered him, he appeared to be dead. James, Elizabeth and others of the company worked over him trying to revive him; but it was apparently hopeless and members of the company pled with James to bury the child. James refused. He remembered that he had been promised in England that he would bring his family safely to Utah. Both he and Elizabeth prayed fervently and finally Thomas revived. Finally supplies and wagons came to help them and the company entered SLC Nov. 30, six months one week after they left their home in England. It was two and a half months before James was able to walk again.

One member of the company, who was “much worn down,” upon reaching the river asked in a plaintive tone, “Have we got to go across there?” On being answered yes, he was so much affected that he was completely overcome. That was the last straw. His fortitude and manhood gave way. He exclaimed, “O Dear? I can’t go through that,” and burst into tears. His wife, who was by his side, had the stouter heart of the two at that juncture, and she said soothingly, “Don’t cry, James. I’ll pull the handcart for you.”

A story that has been handed down in the family was: One time during the trek, James became very sick. Because of the early snow and thus slow traveling, cold, short rations, etc. many became ill and died. James was so ill they thought he was dead and members of the company told his wife that he must be left behind so the company could keep going. Reluctantly she wrapped her husband in a blanket and left him beside the road. When they pulled into camp that night a sister in the company came to inquire of their well being and when she found out that James had been left for dead back on the trail she reminded them of the promise that had been made when she had spoken in tongues back in England arid the Lord had promised him he'd reach Utah safely with his family. A wagon was sent back for him and they nursed him back to health. The Lord's promise to him was fulfilled.

This is just a few little inserts from a journal which James G. Bleak kept. I am so thankful for James. Had he not joined the church and came across the plains I have no idea where or what I would be today. I am thankful for his faith and determination. I am also thankful for those 3 young men who helped the Pioneers cross that river. I think to often we forget about the things the early saints of the church went through. I am indeed grateful for all of them. It's a testimony builder for me to see the faith they had to literally give their lives for their faith. I love this Church and I love the gosple. It is such a blessing to be a part of such a wonderful cause.

Serving the Lord!!

This Video clip is of a man who gave up a lot to serve the Lord. Bruce was a Professional Golfer and he loved playing golf very much, but he knew that golf would only last a life time and that the gosple last forever. There are currently 52,225 missionaries world wide. Each and everyone of them gave up something they loved and left things behind to serve the Lord. As I have left behind my hobbies and my loved ones back home I have seen amazing blessings. Blessings that could have only come by serving the Lord. Some people ask why we leave behind everything to serve the Lord. Well I will tell you my thoughts about that. As members of Christ's Church we receive many blessings and we want to share those blessings with everyone. I love being a missionary. There is nothing else I would rather be doing right now with my life. I know that this Church is true. I can honestly say that I would not be giving up 2 years of my life if this church was not true.

Unselfish Service!

Jesus Christ said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This doesn't mean we have to die to show our love for our friends. We lay down our lives every time we put someone else's needs before our own. (And the “friends” mentioned in the scripture above can be understood to be everyone we meet, since Jesus also commanded us to “love one another.”)

Service doesn't always have to be physical labor. Just simple acts of kindness can go a long way. Whether its just saying hello to someone or helping and elderly lady at the store. Small acts of kindness can be an answer to someone's prayer and help that person out a lot. As a missionary I always look for ways that I can serve people. I find that when I do service that I am very happy. As a young man I remember doing service activties in my ward. And I can remember how good I felt after we did service for someone. I would just like to end with a very popular scripture, It is Mosiah 2:17 "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

Come to Jesus!

This song really means a lot to me. The first time i heard it was at one of my best friends dad's funeral. The video i found that this song goes along with is perfect. I love it. Let us all learn something from this song and the Prophet Thomas S. Monson. I know that Jesus does live. I know that he died for each of us on the cross. I know that he took upon him every pain, every sin, and every hardship that will we ever experience. Let us all remember our Savior Jesus Christ, and let us all Come to Him and live!

Lift Me Up

This song is amazing. And the video that goes along with it is very good. I am so thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is always there for us. He not only took upon himself our sins but he took every affliction, pain and everything we will experience. Who better to turn to in a time of need than our Savior. He is there is lift us up! I testify that is true!

Here are the lyrics to this song.



Every now and then I loose my way
I wander off the path
And I need someone to find me
oh, oh
When I think the pain is here to stay
And I might not make it back you remind me
I think its one of those mysteries we're not meant to figure out
You'll be there when I need you most I have no doubt

Chorus
Even when my thoughts are far from you, even when I wander from the truth
you are always there beside me, Yeah
Everytime I try to walk alone, thinking I could make it on my own
And I fall when I begin, you're there to lift me up again

It always happens right out of the blue, when I'm in my darkest hour
And it's feeling like forever
No, no
Something always makes me think of you
And I can feel your power more than ever
I think its one of those mysteries were not meant to figure out
You'll be there when I need you most I have no doubt, No

Chorus
Even when my thoughts are far from you
Even when I wander from the truth
You are always there beside me oh oh oh
Everytime I try and walk alone, thinking I could make it on my own
And I fall when I begin, you're there to lift me up again

Even when I'm barely hanging on
I am weightless in your love and my fear is gone

Chorus
Even when my thoughts are far from you
Even when I wander from the truth
You are always there beside me, oh oh oh
Everytime I try and walk alone, thinking I could make it on my own
And I fall when I begin, you're there to lift me up again, yeah

We Can Be Freed By The Atonement

This video is awesome. I love fishing and this video uses fishing as a parable. It compares the Fisherman to Lucifer. This video is from a talk given by M. Russell Ballard titled "O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One." I would like to share a few quotes from that talk.

       "The use of artificial lures to fool and catch a fish is an example of the way Lucifer often tempts, deceives, and tries to ensnare us."

        This is so true. Satan knows us very well and he knows how he can deceive us. He will do anything to catch us. But unlike a fisherman he will not just catch and release us and let us go unharmed. Satans goal is to make us miserable. Sometimes Satan does catch us, and it's up to us to get away. And that can be very tricky. We become addicted to a desire and it can be hard for us to overcome.

       "If anyone who is addicted has a desire to overcome, then there is a way to spiritual freedom—a way to escape from bondage—a way that is proven. It begins with prayer—sincere, fervent, and constant communication with the Creator of our spirits and bodies, our Heavenly Father. It is the same principle in breaking a bad habit or repenting from sin of any kind. The formula for having our heart, our body, our mind, and our spirit transformed is found in the scriptures.

The prophet Mormon counseled us: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love … ; that ye may become the sons of God; … that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48)."

        I bare my testimony that I know that this is true. I know that if we will pray and trust in God then we will make things better. I think of a scripture in Mosiah 24 that says the Lord will make our burdens light. But we have to pray and trust him.

       "To those who are dealing with an addiction personally or within your family, I repeat, fervent prayer is key to gaining the spiritual strength to find peace and overcome an addictive craving. Heavenly Father loves all of His children, so thank Him and express sincere faith in Him. Ask Him for the strength to overcome the addiction you are experiencing. Set aside all pride and turn your life and your heart to Him. Ask to be filled with the power of Christ’s pure love. You may have to do this many times, but I testify to you that your body, mind, and spirit can be transformed, cleansed, and made whole, and you will be freed."

"And for those of you who have fallen prey to any kind of addiction, there is hope because God loves all of His children and because the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ makes all things possible."

          I know that what M. Russell Ballard has said is true. I have used the power of the atonement in my life and I know it's real. Let us all be aware of satan and his deceiving ways in catching us. And if we do get caught, which we all will sometime in our lives, let us turn to our Father in Heaven and Jesus Chirst. They can help us through anything. I know that!!